A Love that cannot be undone
by Gemlettuce93
Summary: Chihaya has just become the new queen, and Arata is announced as the Meijan. But what exactly does this mean for Taichi? Chihaya x Taichi


_A Love that cannot be undone_

**A/N I cannot begin to describe how strongly I support this ship, it absolutely broke my heart when I read (SPOILER) taichis confession in the manga, and I'm still hopeful that Taichi will be the one for Chihaya (I personally think she just sees Arata as an idol to worship and is confused and grateful to him) Anyway I'm rambling but this one off was written in just a few hours, please enjoy and sorry for OOC Chihaya is a really hard character to write romantically unless I ship this chihaya x karuta x queen.**

**If you're a chihaya x arata then I would suggest not to read because you won't be happy ;) Taichi is best boi in my honest opinion, just the love and support he has showed her their entire lives.**

* * *

Grunts of fury and determination filled the hall, a tall beautiful looking girl with giant rouge eyes and light brown hair swept her arm furiously across the wooden floor, the sound of cards pinging across the air like arrows on a battlefield.

This was the karuta queen and master tournament. 5 matches each to see who would be crowned.

Chihaya thrust herself at the remaining card, her card. "C-" _Chihayafuru_ She knew somewhere deep down this was HERS.

A thin pale woman with dark blue hair and ice cold eyes sat across from her, lurching forward. Shinobu-chan was in despair, she had lost her crown and her title, however she had gained a friend and a new meaning in life.

"Oh my, my reign is over and now I can put these years behind me and try to make something of myself in the real world" Her cold heart had thawed at the realization she no longer had to be alone to be strong, she smiled warmly at the new Queen, holding back a single tear.

"The new Queen of Karuta is AYASE CHIHAYA" A small curvy girl with big doe like eyes stood dressed in a pink kimono was beside herself. Kanachan forced herself not to scream out in happiness for her friend "_There is still a match on and we must contain ourselves out of respect for the reader and challenger"_

She pulled out a tissue as she tore her gaze away from Chihaya and gasped as she thought she caught a glimpse of something in the corner of the audience, were those..golden eyes she saw? No...he couldn't possibly be here.

* * *

In the same sweat filled room a few metres away on the cold tatami mat was none of than the Master and the challenger Wataya Arata, he smiled in delight knowing Chihaya had accomplished her goals after all her hard work. however things weren't looking good for him.

He was a tall muscular but skinny man in a black kimono with jet black hair to match and eyes like cold sapphires leering out of his black rimmed glasses.

"CH-" Arata swept with all his might, throwing himself at what he thought was meant for him, the Chihaya card. He closed his eyes feeling exhilarated, but all he could hear was gasps of shock around him.

Time grinded to a halt.

_Heh? _He choked back at the sight of Suos gleaming smile. He had lost the Chihaya card. _How could I lose THAT card! I needed that card, of all the days to miss out on it._

"My,my,my Arata-kun, losing one of your best cards in the grand finale? Someone's not in the right mindset" It was barely a whisper, but Arata had heard it. Across from him sat the current Master, a 20-something college student with small glazed eyes and a sadistic grin across his face, he was taunting him.

He pushed back his glasses and regained his calm stone like composure, drawing in the earth around him.

"T-" The ground nearly pulled him from under his feet, but he leapt forward, he knew this was his chance to fulfill his grandfather's dream- no, his own destiny.

"_Tsuki mireba,Chiji ni mono koso Kanashi kere Waga mi hitotsu no aki ni wa aranedo _"

_When I look at the moon, I am overcome by the sadness of a thousand, thousand things, even though it is not autumn for me alone_.

"Thank you for the match, Meijan Arata." Suo breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself..

"I was wrong about you, you did excite me." His impish grin faded, as he pulled himself up, ready to retire.

"This is...unprecedented, both challengers have crushed the defending Queen and Meijan, bow to your new karuta masters!" The announcer staggered out, and a deafening cheer throughout the room was heard. "The celebration ceremony will begin in 20 minutes!, Congratulations again to our young champions."

_She did it... they both did it, now they can be master and queen together. _Their childhood friend smiled sadly, with an aching pain in his chest. He was a handsome man with light brown short hair, huge almost golden coloured eyes and a cute boyish face.

Having confessed his love to Chihaya just a few months ago the pain of her rejection was still fresh. He clenched his fist and felt the beating of his heart slowing, he had lost Chihaya forever, now that someone else was there to bask in her light, and it wasn't him. _It's never me._

_I was always in the way, they didn't need me. _Ruffling what was left of his tan locks, and slowly approached the reigning couple. He was always at war with himself.

Forcing a somber smile he turned to his long distance childhood friend and rival in love.

"Arata, you made it. I had no doubts after you crushed me in our match, I'm proud to call you Meijan" "And Chihaya…" The crimson beauty glanced up to face her friend.

"I never doubted you for a second." She looked at him, struggling to grasp why she felt such sadness.

Arata looked at Taichi like a frozen lake beginning to thaw, and a small smile formed. Before he knew it Taichi was pulled into a warm embrace with them both.

"Taichi...thank you. I was wrong to think you were just in my way, a rival. You are a true friend and I'm only here today because of the fight you gave me. Let's play karuta again someday" Arata grinned that sheepish grin, and turned to Chihaya.

"I'll be waiting for you in the trophy room, I think we both need to say something". Chihaya blushed hesitantly and nodded, however her eyes were not locked onto him for once.

Waiting for the crowd to disperse into the ceremonial room, Arata bowed his head down. _She finally sees him for who he has become._

The once sheepish nerdy boy smiled softly and walked away, leaving Chihaya and Taichi alone as the pitter patter of his footsteps echoed into the distance.

Chihaya stared into Taichis eyes, they were almost lifeless. Those once beautiful sparkling suns were dying out like a black hole gorging on itself. His love for her had left devastation in its wake.

She sighed and regained her composure, blushing slightly "Taichi, I'm sorry." She felt the guilt crushing her chest, and a feeling she couldn't quite place yet.

_Ugh, why is she always sorry for me.._. he clenched his body, waiting for yet another apology and rejection of his feelings towards her.

_Because you're nothing to her._

"I'm sorry I couldn't see it before...when we were kids. And I'm sorry I never saw you. Taichi..." Her eyes softened, and the blush became more apparent across her porcelain cheeks.

"Taichi. I'm sorry I crushed your feelings, I'm sorry you hated karuta because of me, but most of all...I'm sorry I never said thank you for all the amazing support you gave me, you've always been there for me haven't you." She felt a fire rising up in her body, she felt warmth when she remembered all the things her best friend had done for her. He never let her down, but she constantly refused to acknowledge his existence because she was blind to anything but karuta.

"It's ok..Chihaya, why are you apologizing? It's not your fault, it's mine for being a coward all these years, maybe if I'd been more like Ara-" The crestfallen boy trailed off, but his once best friend grabbed his hands and pulled him close to her.

"You're not Arata, and that's ok. Taichi, you've always been struggling with being yourself, changing yourself to be him and I'm so happy to call you my friend, and maybe I'm wrong t-t-o think Arata is..."

"CHIHAYA-CHAN, MASHIMA-KUN the ceremony is starting in 10 minutes, why aren't you- " the small doe eyed girl clasped her hands together and crept away, smiling.

_Note that though we may be apart, if I am to hear that you pine for me as the Inaba mountain pines, I shall return to you._

"_Arata is what? Chihaya..." _Taichi gazed into her soul, seeking for the end of that sentence. His heart gradually beating faster and faster, she was holding his hands and she felt like fire.

"Sorry Taichi, there's something I have to do first." Almost breathless she tore herself away from him and walked slowly.

Kanna-chan emerged from the corridor, and nodded knowingly at Taichi, who just stood in place like a statue. _She finally sees you...Mashima-kun._

* * *

Arata sat staring at all the previous winners portraits and stroked his Grandfather's etchings above him.

_You were right chi-chan, you have to let go of everything to live your dream._

Hearing footsteps approaching Arata tensed up, this was the moment he had been dreading, he knew exactly what Chihaya was about to do. It hurt him but in the end he knew that he was nothing more than a friend and someone for her to look up to.

"Arata, there you are." She sighed. "I'm ready to answer you about the t-t-thing you said to me back at Harada senseis match."

She held her hands limply, staring at the cold hard floor and couldn't help but feel still, she was about to crush another friend's feelings; he meant the world to her but only in the world of karuta. Stammering she continued her plea..

" Arata I idolize you, I will always love karuta and you...for showing me this beautiful world but.." Tears streamed out of her like a river.

What was it she felt was different when she looked at Arata? She always assumed it was love but recently she came to know she'd been confused for a very long time.

She knew she couldn't lie to herself any longer.

"But I love you as a friend, I am eternally grateful for what you meant to me. I would never have become Queen without you to look up to but you left and a-and Taichi has always been there for me. I will never forgive myself for not noticing how amazing he is for everything he's done for me. I always wanted it to be the three of us playing karuta and being friends forever but.. I have to grow up; I'm Queen now which means I have to make some hard decisions. I can't be blind all my life"

The tight knot in her stomach writhed inside her as she thought of Taichi. "_Chihaya, I'm in love with you" "I can't play karuta anymore, the cards look black" "Do you think I'm made of stone?"_

"_Chihaya.."_

"I think I've always known it deep down, but you and karuta confused me, karuta is my first love but Taichi is my—"

"Chihaya! It's ok. It's ok." Arata sighed patting her head. He was heartbroken but he knew it was coming. Maybe if he hadn't have moved away all those years ago they would have become more. He had reached his dream and now more than anything he just wanted his friends to be truly happy.

"Go to him after the ceremony, there's no hard feelings. Chihaya I will always love that 12 year old girl that convinced me a world without karuta wasn't a world, even at my darkest points. But you've not been that girl for a long time, you've grown up into an amazing woman and without me – Taichi has become a better man. There's not enough room for the three of us."

Her head lowered and then snapped up realizing they were here for a reason.

"AAAHH the ceremony! How much time do we have left?" How could Chihaya forget her moment of glory! A mere 5 minutes had passed but this conversation and her encounter with Taichi had seemed like an eternity. She bowed her head and launched down the corridor, creating quite a commotion with the crowds waiting inside.

"See you there" he chimed after her. He looked down at the fading silhouette and smiled, he was happy that she finally loved something more than Karuta.

* * *

_At the ceremony._

The crowd screamed their appreciation to the new reigning champions, the Mizuzawa karuta club applauded so loud they nearly deafened the room. Taichi blushed, looking at Chihaya longingly...his; no THE new Queen. He had no idea what was said between her and Arata and peered over at his friend who had just accepted his certificate and title of Mejian. Maybe it was wishful thinking but Taichi couldn't help notice Aratas eyes were slightly puffy, concealed behind those glasses.

_Did Chihaya confess? _He was so confused, what on earth had been said in that room. Was Chihaya about to reject Taichi for a third time? A memory flashed in his mind:

" _You've always been struggling with being yourself, changing yourself to be him and I'm so happy to call you my friend, and maybe I'm wrong t-t-o think Arata is..." _His eyes widened in disbelief. Had she _**rejected**_ Arata?

"We all expect the new Queen and Meijan to impress and exhilarate us in their time as champions, they have sacrificed so much to get here, let's give them a final round of applause Ayase Chihaya and Wataya Arata! "

Suo and Shinobu clapped enthusiastically from the crowd they had gotten tired of their lives revolving around nothing but karuta. But they were enthralled to see a new door opened by such wonderful challengers.

"I now declare the Queen/Meijan tournament over! See you next year everyone!" and with that the ceremony and all those years of hard work came to a close.

Taichi trembled, on her way out Chihaya had mouthed something to him.

"Meet-me-in-the-gardens" she had smiled gracefully at him but was he really ready to hear that she had chosen Arata?

_It's time..._

Drowning in self loathing thoughts he hadn't noticed Kannachan and the rest of the karuta club approach him. "Mashima-kun, go to her. I'll stay here with everyone else" she winked, ushering him out of the room.

"I-I can't Kanna-chan. I can't face her" he hid in his arms, he was still a coward after all.

"Yes you can Mashima-kun, I told you I'd support you till the very end. You need to stop telling yourself you're no good, isn't that what she was trying to say to you?"

"Huh? How did you kno-" _Had she been listening the entire time?_

"MASHIMA-SEMPAI, I ORDER YOU TO GO." A smaller girl with black hair and plaits tapped him on the chest. Sumire blushed angrily she knew this day was coming. She had seen the change in Chihaya the moment Taichi no longer revolved around her life.

He looked around at his former club members and smiled, clenching his fists he felt a confidence he had only felt during his winning match with Arata.

_I'm sick of running away_

And with that he marched onwards to find the girl he craved to be with.

* * *

Cherry blossoms filled the air, and the beautiful newly crowned Queen sat staring at the sky. Her crimson eyes bewildered by the sight of the wind blowing amongst the trees.

_It reminds me of the day we all fell in love with Karuta. _She giggled to herself, draped in red and pink petals like a blanket over her prized sea-green kimono.

"Chi-Chihaya, I'm here." she turned to see Taichi, he looked flushed and she sensed a change in him, he seemed more confident now as he marched towards her.

_She looks so...beautiful. _His heart ached for her. Feeling anxiety swelling up he grabbed Chihaya and pulled her close to him like she had done before. Their faces were centimetres away from each other.

"What were you about to say earlier Chihaya... what did you and Arata talk about?" he felt himself drowning in a river of questions yet he only wanted answers for one of them. Lapping up the river inside of him he took a deep breath and pierced her very soul, his eyes daring not peel away from hers.

"Chihaya, how do you really feel about me" their eyes clashed together like a solar flare.

The beauty in vain stood lost in thought for what seemed like an eternity and then...

"Fire!" she yelled to the heavens. _I just need to tell him exactly what I see when I think of him._

"I see a fire in you Taichi, it lit up when we first met and I've never seen it flicker out, until that day I hurt you. Taichi, I'm the coward and I got confused, I cherish our friendship with Arata, and you but...

I have always loved you Taichi! I'm so sorry I never realized it was you all along." Her face now a crimson red, tears once again threatened to fall.

"Taichi... when you left the club it hurt me so much. I wanted to know why you always felt so alone and even though I had Sumire, Porky, Desktomu, Kanna-chan and everyone around me, I've never felt so alone in my life." The wind swirled around them like a vortex, and then everything stopped.

"When you were no longer by my side...THE CARDS LOOKED BLACK TO ME TOO '' Chihaya screamed, closing her eyes in slight embarrassment of what she was saying.

_What? WHAT? WHAT! His body screamed inside him, he felt this fire everyday when he was with her, it was his love for her that bubbled up inside him. She has always been able to see me...she just didn't understand what she was seeing, stop thinking you idiot and say something to her!_

"Chihaya...I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it would hurt you as badly as it hurt me. I-"

"I'm not finished! Taichi, since the moment I met you; before karuta, before Arata. I looked at you and saw fire staring back, but on the day you quit the club a-and w-we had that moment near the train st-station I saw that fire almost fizzle out and I never want that to happen." she was stuttering now. She had never been this passionate about anything but karuta in her life, but it felt good to be honest with him.

He pulled her womanly figure as close as two separate souls could without intertwining. His face drenched with emotions as he pressed his finger to her lips.

His eyes softened and his battered heart began to heal. _I never thought this would happen, I am..enough for her?_

"That fire is for you Chihaya...always" And this time she launched herself at him with all her strength and engulfed him into a passionate kiss that was so full of pain,sorrow and love.

"I love you, Chihaya" he pulled away, as he cried gazing into her eyes once more.

_Since I could not hide my love, people would always ask if I was pining for someone._

"I love you too, Taichi" she began to reply as she threw her arms around him and let him melt into another deserved kiss.

She truly had everything she wanted, the missing piece of the puzzle; Taichi.

_As my love first came to realization, word had already spread._


End file.
